Why Mike Gansey Was Chosen to Be the Sixers' President of Basketball Operations

CAMDEN — In some ways, Bob Myers feels his recommendation to hire Mike Gansey as the Sixers' new president of basketball operations sold itself on Monday morning.

"I think you saw some of it up there today," Myers told reporters at the team's practice facility on Monday.

"Leadership qualities, experience, he's at the right age, an apprentice for a long time."

He and Gansey appear aligned in identifying the qualities that made the former Cavaliers general manager the apparent right guy for the job.

"Man, I don't like talking about myself. But I just feel like I can lead. I can lead a group of people. There's going to be alignment throughout the building," Gansey said at his introductory press conference minutes before Myers spoke.

But there's more to why Gansey feels he got the job than just that ambiguous term.

"I'm going to be very collaborative with the head coach and me and Nick are going to be attached at the hip. Every decision we make, Nick's going to be involved. Obviously up to ownership. Obviously the group that we have and that we retained is really, really exciting," Gansey said.

"We got really good players. We got some young players and we got some vets that can really play."

It takes a player to know a player. Myers wanted one sitting on the Sixers' throne.

"I like guys that came up through the scouting ranks. I do think the former player, the relatability to players even though he wasn't an NBA guy necessarily," Myers said.

This is Gansey's first time as the lead executive of an NBA franchise. A proud, historic one—as Gansey called it—at that.

Myers is confident that it's a good gamble.

"He made a good comment, I think about being a G League GM. It's the closest thing you can do to approximate being a GM. Very different level of scrutiny obviously. But you're managing a coach, managing a roster, dealing with agents, negotiating not at the same level as the NBA but...I think all those things combined," Myers explained.

Myers was moved by more than just Gansey's résumé, though.

"And then, look, he presents a certain way. He's a 'work with' type of guy, had some good conversations about what he thought about our staff. So it was over the course of time that he started growing on me," Myers told reporters.

Of course, Myers has history on both sides of the NBA's negotiating table. That means he was able to do his due diligence on the guy he had in mind.

"Really good responses when I asked about Mike, what kind of guy he was. Kind of universally praised," Myers said.

It's up to you to decide whether Gansey sold himself well. Myers thinks Monday's events validated his efforts since taking over for Daryl Morey.

But the Sixers don't have time to worry about a good first impression. They're due to make their first significant decision of the Gansey era in two weeks.

His results will do the talking.

"I'm just excited to get this thing started and get to know everyone and get everyone in the building and just get going," Gansey said.

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